The Teen Queen has been asking for meatloaf. This is something they like for a dinner or for a lunch during the summer. Using individual mini loaf pans allows for me to make 9 mini meatloaves so they can heat and eat them whenever they want.

You can add whatever you want to this recipe. I always make meatloaf different ways but today I made just a basic ground beef meatloaf.

As the year begins in the little red farmhouse, it’s always a reminder of things unfinished from 2017. Last year was a busy year for our family and my thoughts were consumed with decision making, planning, coordinating, and preparing every day life.

Over the past few months I have felt the “winds of change” blowing. I have no idea what it means, how it’s going to happen, or when it will take place, but I feel it deep inside with an excitement of what 2018 is going to bring!

I look forward to sharing all the blessings this year holds for me and our family/farm. Here are a few pictures from our Christmas season and the beginning of an exciting year! Happy New Year to all and many blessings for your best year yet! Tina

I love this picture! It’s not often I take the time to reflect on the life we have chosen to give to our children. Part of that is because I grew up in this lifestyle.

Being raised on a farm doesn’t come without its sacrifices for our kids. Your parents can’t take “sick” days from taking care of the livestock. During the spring months there is not much time for anything other than preparing the seedlings to start, getting the garden beds ready to plant, fertilizing the soil, repairing pasture fencing, and fixing/maintaining the farm equipment and animal housing. In the summer there is no summer vacation as every day the animals need to be fed and barn chores need to be done. The animals do not “sleep in” so that means neither do we. Weeds are a weekly family project in the garden beds, the lawns need frequent cutting, the pastures need to be trimmed down to keep the weeds down. Fall is spent harvesting, preserving, freezing, and selling the extras of things we have grown.

But the sacrifices allow for life lessons preparing these kids for their futures. They learn responsibility, compassion, empathy, determination and the circle of life very early on.

They learn to respect the earth and animals with a very deep connection. These things provide them with the reward of food grown from a seed, fresh eggs daily and freedom to enjoy the simple things like riding a horse through the beautiful woods.

It also prepares them for their later teenage years. Both of these kids have been driving and working farm tractors, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and a golf cart since they were 3 years old. They understand the power a machine has and the dangers involved with a careless decision.

They can prepare their own meals, make bread, can vegetables and fruits, and make pies. In other words, they will be able to feed themselves for the rest of their lives without assistance if need be.

All of this makes the vacations and trips they do get to enjoy even better.

And the time we spend on our boat, camping out in our cabin on the farm, enjoying family time around our nightly bonfires and making lasting memories is where I find my happiness.

And that sums up why I love the above image explaining why being raised a farm kid is the best gift ever!

In these past few months I have tried to find happy places to escape to. These woods are always my greatest escape.

Since I was 6, I have walked in these woods. That’s 44 years (but who’s counting!!) There were no trails, less neighbors, and tons of wildlife. Over the years that has slowly changed, but luckily the “4 mile loop” we have created is land locked.

If I am not walking I am 4 wheeling, horseback riding, or snowmobiling! I have shared these trails with many animals, most of them gone now, through the years. My first dog, Daisy. My first horse, Sugar. My next dogs through the years as a child, Princess, Sheba, Jeopardy, Ginger. Our second horse, Mandy.

My parents liked to take us 4 kids on Sunday walks. My dad would always have a big walking stick and I remember being scared we would get lost and he would always say not to worry, the dogs know the way home.

These past few months I have been finding myself wanting to escape this crazy world more and more and enjoy what we have without all of the negativity being thrown at us from every angle in the media, on the internet, in the magazines, etc.

Even little Sissy has had enough and wants to join us on a walk!!

Coming back up the trails after a nice long walk, the sun has set and the moon is beginning to peak out, I feel refreshed.

One thing I have done since my children were born is compile a booklet of quotes that have touched me in my life. I hope when they are struggling in life or over joyed, they will find inspiration in one of the quotes I have chosen for them and know each one was carefully picked to give them a perspective from their mother to use throughout their lives.

Here are a few of my favorites from the book to date. This book will always be a work in progress as I come across other quotes that move my soul 🙂

This site is about my life as a farmgirl, wife, mother and grandmother and the things I love to do. I've been married to the same man that I love for 40+ years. We have two beautiful adult children and one granddaughter. We pretty much live off of our farm by raising our food or hunting for it. My blog is a day to day walk-through of our life.